REMEMBRANCE IN TIME - Index of

Margarita KARAMIHOVA: Different Generations, Different Shared Memories … 259
“It was betted in the times of Bay Tosho [Todor Zhivkov]. His only mistake was when
he had changed the names. Then Bulgaria went back, rotten. It started at 1984 and was
obvious at 1989. At 1984 the militia started a war. Four people were killed. After that
they came and changed our names”, Ahmed (67), Momchilgrad (record May 1995).
“It was great at the time of Todor Zhivkov. There were low and order, job positions and
money”, Mehmed (65), Dazdovnitsa, Eastern Rodopes (record May 1995).
“The worst thing that communists did is that they separated families”, Ali (70), Gradina,
Razgrad (record March 1994) During the interview my informant started to cry because
his daughter will not come for the fest of Bayram from Turkey.
“Because our faith was forbidden we know only the stories told by our grand parents. I
do not know how to pray in the mosque. My wife was pregnant when the circumcision
was forbidden. She was praying all the time if the baby will be boy to be born
circumcised. They were people sentenced because of illegal circumcisions. It was
humiliating every month to bring the baby boys to doctor for check-up… ” Sabri (39),
Podrumche, region of Krumovgrad (Record May 1992)
“Before the religion was forbidden there were great fests. A lot of kurbans… Now
everything is so expensive…” Ali (78), Dajdovnik, Krumovgrad (record May 1992).
“My wife does not know Bulgarian. For five years she and the other women from the
village did not travel to the town. Just me… You pay a fine if you are speaking Turkish.
How to go there with your wife? She is not an animal and you cannot spend a day in the
town in silence…” Raif (78) Yabalkovets, Eastern Rodopes, (Record July 1992)
“My brother could not bare this humiliation. He committed suicide in the age of 45. It
was horrible to bury him with too many militia officers around. They were there to check
if we are using coffin… and to see if someone will comment the politics…” Myumyun
(47) Byal Kladenets (1992).
“I was bitten because I rejected to change my name. It was because of my second –
fathers name… We are orphans. My brother had raised me. He was not in the town. He,
as a man and as an older brother had to choose our fathers name… it was so
humiliating…” Gyulfem (50) Ardino(Record August 1992).
“Bay Todor was caring us in his arms”, anonymous woman (about 60) at a train station
in Istanbul (record of Eran Livni 2008).
The modernization project of “Peoples Republic” even during the 80s was estimated by
Turkish minority members as having still high resource potential. It is remembered as
stimulating personal development; constantly raising living standard and assuring new
quality of life; providing choices at micro level (person, family);providing (social)
security for a life time and in day to day terms.
In the quoted narratives, the relation between local culture model including religion and
the political regime under socialism is presented as one of competing institutions, in
which the state was seen as suppressing Islam and fragmenting the union of the Bulgarian
nation.
This point of view is shaped by and used as a mode of interpretation for the present-day
problems which Turks in Bulgaria have to face.
The “greatest exodus”
Between June and August 1989 over 360,000 Turks left Bulgaria for Turkey in what
international humanitarian relief organizations at the time described as the largest
collective civilian migration since the Second World War. (Pickles 2001: 1)